High performance storage access environment

• US 8,046,421 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Akira, Iwami, Naoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt; Yves
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lai; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US12/113,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20080209148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709212-215, 707/8
• US Class Current: 709/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The present invention provides improved techniques for managing storage resources, such as disk drives, I/O ports, and the like in a network based storage system according to a user position within the network. Embodiments according to the present invention can provide a relatively high performance storage access environment for the mobile users moving around a wide area. For example, in one applicable environment, there are several data centers in the wide area, and each data center has a local storage system that is connected to the other storage systems through a network. Copies of a user'"'"'s volume can be made in some of the storage systems. A remote copy function is utilized for making real time copies of the user'"'"'s volume.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a write request from a host computer associated with at least one of a plurality of storage systems, said at least one of the plurality of storage systems includes a first storage system and a second storage system;

Storing write data associated with the write request to a data volume;

executing a remote data copy operation by executing a data send process or a data receive process;

managing group information including correspondence between a first data volume in a first storage system and a second data volume in a second storage system to specify a copy volume group;

managing address information on data volumes on host computers;

selecting the first data volume as a primary volume to be accessed;

providing address information of the first data volume to a terminal via a network based on the group information and the address information when an access request is received from the terminal closer to the host computer associated with the first storage system than the second storage system, the access request being targeted to the copy volume group including the first data volume and the second data volume;

when selecting the first data volume of the first storage system as the primary volume, setting a status of the first data volume to the primary volume and setting a status of the second data volume as a secondary volume if the status of the second data volume is set as the primary volume;

selecting the second data volume as primary volume to be accessed;

providing address information of the second storage volume to a terminal via a network based on the group information and the address information when an access request is received from the terminal closer to the host computer associated with the second storage system than the first storage system, the access request being targeted to the copy volume group including the first data volume and the second data volume;

when selecting the second data volume of the second storage system as the primary volume, setting the status of the second data volume to the primary volume and setting the status of the first data volume to a secondary volume if the status of the first data volume is set as the primary volume;

using the second data volume as a secondary volume to be copied stored data in the first data volume by using a remote copy function between the controllers of the first storage system and the second storage system when the first data volume is selected as a primary volume to be accessed; and

using the first data volume as a secondary volume to be copied stored data in the second data volume by using the remote copy function when the second data volume is selected as the primary volume to be accessed; and

using a third storage system as another secondary volume to be copied stored data in the first or the second data volume by using remote copy function;

wherein said remote data copy operation is controlled by the first or the second storage system having the first data volume or the second data volume selected as the primary volume, and

wherein said selecting the first data volume as a primary volume or said selecting the second data volume as the primary volume is executed by a directory server coupled to the plurality of storage systems in the network;

wherein information of the copy volume group is stored in each of the first, the second and the third storage systems and includes whether the data is to be transferred asynchronously or synchronously for each data volume subject to remote copy operation for each of the first, the second and the third storage systems.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the data is to be transferred synchronously, notice is sent from the storage system having the secondary volume after the write data is received and stored to a cache memory to the storage system having the primary volume.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the third storage system includes the information of the copy volume group;

wherein when the first data volume is selected as the primary volume, in response to receiving the write request, the first storage system sends write data stored in a cache of the first storage system to the second and the third storage systems based on the copy volume group information stored in the first storage system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first storage system and the host computer associated with the first storage system configure a first data server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when selecting the first data volume of the first storage system as the primary volume, sending remaining update data to the first storage system.

6. A method comprising:

receiving a write request from a host computer associated with at least one of a plurality of storage systems, said at least one of the plurality of storage systems includes a first storage system and a second storage system;

storing write data associated with the write request to a data volume;

executing a remote data copy operation by executing a data send process or a data receive process;

managing information including correspondence between a first data volume in a first storage system and a second data volume in a second storage system to specify a copy volume group;

selecting the first data volume or the second data volume as a primary volume to be accessed and the other thereof as a secondary volume based on the managed information when an access request is received from a terminal;

when selecting the first data volume of the first storage system as the primary volume, setting a status of the first data volume to the primary volume and setting a status of the second data volume as a secondary volume if the status of the second data volume is set as the primary volume;

when selecting the second data volume of the second storage system as the primary volume, setting the status of the second data volume to the primary volume and setting the status of the first data volume as a secondary volume if the status of the first data volume is set as the primary volume;

receiving a write request from a host computer associated with the first storage system;

storing write data associated with the write request to the first data volume;

receiving data to copy the stored data in the first data volume to the second data volume if the first data volume is selected as the primary volume;

receiving a write request from a host computer associated with the second storage system;

storing write data associated with the write request to the second data volume;

receiving data to copy the stored data in the second data volume to the first data volume if the second data volume is selected as the primary volume;

using a third storage system as another secondary volume to be copied stored data in the first or the second data volume by using a remote copy function;

wherein said remote data copy operation is controlled by the first or the second storage system having the data volume selected as the primary volume,

wherein said selecting the first data volume as the primary volume or said selecting the second data volume as the primary volume is executed by a directory server coupled to the host computers associated with the first and the second storage systems and the plurality of storage systems in the network,

wherein information of the copy volume group is stored in each of the first, the second and the third storage systems and includes whether the data is to be transferred asynchronously or synchronously for each data volume subject to a remote copy operation for each of the first, the second and the third storage systems.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the managed information includes address information on host computers, and further comprising:

selecting one of the first data volume and the second data volume as a primary volume to be accessed based on the address information and an address of the terminal from which the access request is received.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

when selecting the first data volume of the first storage system as the primary volume, sending remaining update data to the first storage system.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the third storage system includes the information of the copy volume group;

wherein when the first data volume is selected as the primary volume, in response to receiving the write request, the first storage system sends write data stored in a cache of the first storage system to the second and the third storage systems based on the copy volume group information stored in the first storage system.